


points in favour

by greenbucket



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Humor, Multi, Polyamory Negotiations, Realism, Unspecified Setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 10:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23469988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenbucket/pseuds/greenbucket
Summary: One day when they’re out getting smoothies, Mako looks constipated a while, then says those four little words: “I have a girlfriend.”Wu is Mako’s (new) boyfriend; Asami is Mako’s girlfriend and also Korra’s; Asami, Wu, and Mako go to brunch.
Relationships: Prince Wu & Asami Sato, Prince Wu/Mako/Asami Sato/Korra
Comments: 5
Kudos: 14





	points in favour

Mako is possibly the most delicious, beefiest, _specimen_ -iest man that Wu has ever had the absolute privilege to lay his eyes (and hands) on. Not only that; he becomes thoroughly flustered every time Wu voices these correct opinions, gets delightfully exasperated at both intentional and unintentional attempts to elicit said exasperation, carries all of Wu’s shopping for him, and ranks definitely within the top three of the four people Wu has ever kissed.

So, really, after a few dates it’s all going quite swimmingly. And then one day when they’re out getting smoothies, Mako looks constipated a while, then says those four little words: “I have a girlfriend.”

“Oh,” says Wu, stomach sinking. He’s been feeling up Mako’s bicep for the better part of five minutes, as risqué as he dares considering he’s already pulled his chair round to Mako’s side of the table and he has _some_ self-respect. He lets his hand drop.

But Mako quickly continues, “She knows about– um. She doesn’t mind.”

“ _Oh_ ,” says Wu, spirits rising, award winning eyebrows back in the game, hands back to appreciating some truly glorious musculature. “Well, me neither. Mind, that is. I’d love to meet her, is she hot? Is she smart? Is she _rich?_ Let’s get brunch.”

The way Mako says in reply, “Er, sure?” should have set off warning bells. However at this point, of course, Wu is fully and blissfully unaware that Mako’s earlier assurances of ‘not minding’ are – unbeknownst perhaps even to Mako – more or less lies.

**-**

_The_ Asami Sato is, of course, the whole package: hot, smart, _and_ rich. Wu doesn’t know if he wants to date her, be her, or watch her mind map something complex and pretend to understand any of it.

She does, against her favour, arrive to brunch late – although in fairness the only reason Wu knows this is because Asami herself apologises for it, despite the fact Wu is thirty seven minutes later still. Mako (accompanied by one stoic black coffee, a pointedly open menu, and Asami’s ankle pressed against his) looks ready to murder Wu over it.

“I’ll move past it I’m sure, as long as you’re not late again,” Wu kindly allows in the face of her apology. “Shall we eat? It’s so late we could hardly call this lunch! I’m starving.”

“This was _your_ idea,” Mako points out.

“Yes,” Wu agrees, smiling. He does appreciate credit where credit’s due for setting the whole thing up. “And it’s been a great one, hasn’t it?”

“… Right.” Asami says, after looking between him and failing to catch Mako’s eye for a bit. She straightens herself up in her seat – such enviable posture! A point in her favour again – and carefully opens her menu. Wu throws himself into his seat and steals Mako’s menu, despite Mako’s protests, since Mako’s sure to order the same things as always and doesn’t need it.

“So, Asami, talk at me,” he begins, having picked a dozen or so dishes to start with. “Mako here hasn’t told me a thing, you’d think he was ashamed of you! Luckily I’ve read _all_ about you, Future Industries is really doing some pioneering work – too soon to ask for a guided tour by the chief of making the magic happen herself?”

“A tour of where exactly?” Asami asks, eyebrows raised. “We have lots of offices and factories covering a lot of areas. We do guided tours for the schools sometimes.”

It’s not a no, which is excellent, but this particular topic is also a gap in Wu’s research. He’s not sure he actually gets technological advancements, or engineering, or whatever it is exactly Future Industries engages in. “Oh, you know,” he says, waving a hand. “Places. Whatever and wherever you’d like to share with a guy like me.”

“Right,” says Asami again. “I’m personally kind of busy, though. Sorry, what was it that you do for work again?”

Mako garbles something vague and explanatory about the company’s relevance to Wu’s studies, like Wu has ever used his degree or indicated he cares about _university._ Then without pausing for breath, or allowing Wu to begin on his singing career in the making, Mako moves on to, “How about we get the ball rolling, order some actual food?”

“Yeah, I think we’d better,” Asami agrees. Mako indulges in making a scene flagging the waiter down despite that being Wu’s job, almost spoiling Wu’s carefully coiffed ‘do in the process.

Once that’s over and everything has been ordered, even worse: Mako’s quick to make some kind of comment about sports _._ Wu can’t for the life of him care about pro-bending or whatever it is this week that he’s ‘supposed’ to care about, but Asami seems enthused. Like that Wu’s opportunity to sweet talk her falls to the wayside. He can feel his eyes glazing over.

He can appreciate, however, the way the ambiance and aesthetics of their comfortably upmarket little cafe fit Asami like a glove; one more point in her favour. Further still, once they move on from sports, she doesn’t talk with her mouth full, asks polite questions, and manages somehow to not smear her lipstick even a little until halfway through the meal. 

Even then, it succeeds in being a demure little slip up, made practically endearing by her smile and laugh, and the way her eyes go soft when Mako tries to help and makes it ten times worse.

Wu isn’t stupid, though. Asami also clearly, vehemently, and silently _despises_ Wu.

It’s not a case of complex relationships gone wrong. That isn’t what one Miss Sato minds at all. She seemed happy enough when Wu first arrived, if a little standoffish. Early on she mentions a girlfriend of her own – who she later clarifies, blasé, is _the_ Avatar Korra – so it would be a little rich for her to reproach Mako for the same.

This leaves Wu with the baffling realisation that what Asami minds is that it’s him. That she dislikes him for– _himself_. Increasingly dislikes him as brunch goes on, if his own eyes are to be believed.

It’s an idea so absurd, especially considering Wu has been pulling out every one of his fail-safe charms, that it takes a while to sink in. Once it’s all come together, however, there’s no avoiding it. Asami hates him, is irritated by him, is clearly one careless moment from rolling her eyes and scoffing loud enough to call the attention of the entire cafe every time he speaks. Not in the way Mako looks similarly sometimes; in a serious, genuine, _for real_ way.

Wu is astounded by this impossible turn of events, but soldiers on nonetheless. He has plenty to talk about and he’s pretty sure Mako enjoys it. Usually, anyway. Asami less so, from the way her eyebrows are speaking to him, but Wu is certain _one_ of the topics is bound to turn the tide eventually, even if he has to request more drinks to soothe his rapidly drying throat. 

An unfortunate side effect of this – plus all the thinking of tides – is that soon enough he desperately needs to use the bathroom.

“I’m off to the toilet,” he announces, interrupting whatever it was that was being said by someone else. “Don’t miss me too much.” He kisses Mako’s cheek, blows another to Asami that makes her eyes go wide, and goes to find the nearest staff member to direct him safely on his way.

Just before he’s out of earshot, he hears Asami groan, “Mako, are you nuts? How can you possibly _stand_ hi–”

His staggering good looks, his scintillating conversational skills, his charm, his wit? Wu recognises he’s quite the force to contend with, it’s true. It’s a flattering sentiment, actually, and allows him to see the meal in a different, far more positive light. It’s understandable for Asami to be a little bowled over by it all, perhaps a little intimidated or disgruntled. To at first, mistakenly, dislike Wu.

But that can easily be fixed. As he convinces the barman to abandon his boring, unimportant duties to take Wu to the bathroom, a plan begins to form in his mind. The sense of unease that Wu had felt building in spite of himself as brunch went on finally dissipates.

It’s early days but Wu doesn’t intend to let go of Mako anytime soon, literally or figuratively. It’s clear that Asami and Mako aren’t on the rocks relationship-wise either. Wu doesn’t want them to be; he _likes_ Mako happy, even if that happiness means he’s not paying attention to Wu directly, or talking about sports. And Wu would also like it if his boyfriend’s girlfriend liked him.

Asami is likely a busy woman, but Wu is already considering their options for afternoon drinks, then shopping, then evening drinks, an evening meal. Whatever it is that will put Asami and ease and begin something blossoming between them. They can get rid of Mako at some point, if need be, can even schedule dates weeks ahead. Just the two of them. Wu can accept readily his and Asami’s will be a platonic romance, a romance with an uneasy start, but a romance it will be.

He can hardly go around with Asami Sato, both as a matter of her being The Asami Sato and Mako’s Asami, disliking him.

As he washes his hands and takes a minute or twenty to check himself out in the mirror before heading into the battlefield once more, he tells himself with firm resolve: _This can be done. I’ll just have to Wu her._


End file.
